Haitian dishwasher lady sued hotel, awarded $21 million for forcing her to work on Sundays

If you were raised in a Haitianhousehold, you probably already know Sunday is non-negotiable when it comes to Haitian parents. Well, this hotel in Miami is learning that through their pocket.

According to the Sunsuntinel:

A jury has awarded Haitian Miami hotel dishwasher Marie Jean Pierre $21.5 million, concluding that her employer failed to honor her religious beliefs by repeatedly scheduling her on Sundays and ultimately firing her. When she started the job, she notified her employer from the beginning that she couldn’t work on Sundays due to her religious beliefs. Pierre was later fired for alleged misconduct, negligence and “unexcused absences,” according to the lawsuit.

Pierre, a dishwasher at the Conrad Miami, sued Virginia-based Park Hotels & Resorts, formerly known as Hilton Worldwide, for violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in 2017. The jury found for Pierre and the award was filed on Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Miami. Pierre, a 60-year-old mother of six children, is a member of the Soldiers of Christ Church, a Catholic missionary group that helps the poor. “You can’t discriminate when someone has a religious belief,” said Pierre’s Miami-based lawyer, Marc Brumer.

Hilton issued a statement about the verdict saying they are disappointed in the jury, plan on appealing and demonstrate that they remain a welcoming place for all guests and employees.”